The present invention relates generally to hot melt adhesive hand applicators, and more particularly to a new and improved hot melt adhesive hand applicator comprising various structural components which provide the applicator with a desired degree of operative diversity and versatility, and which also provides the applicator with improved safety and preventive maintenance features.
In connection with hot melt adhesive hand applicators, the applicator or gun is normally provided with several operative connections, such as, for example, a first inlet hose is operatively connected to the applicator or gun for introducing the hydraulic or adhesive fluid material under pressure into the applicator or gun, and a second hose or cable is operatively connected to the applicator or gun for providing the same with electrical power in order to energize a heater body assembly which is provided for heating the incoming hydraulic or adhesive fluid material in order to enable the same to be dispensed from the applicator or gun as hot melt adhesive. Depending upon the particular assembly line or production line being used within a particular facility, or depending upon the particular assembly line or production line being used in connection with particular production applications, it is often desirable that the applicator or gun be capable of being used in various different modes of operation, or that the applicator or gun be capable of undergoing different movements having different degrees of freedom, or still further, that the applicator or gun be capable of being used in various different orientations.
For example, the applicator gun may be further provided with a hanger clip or bracket, and it may sometimes be desired that the applicator gun be utilized in a conventional gun-type mode of operation wherein the handle of the gun is pointing or oriented downwardly while the hydraulic adhesive material hose is disposed in a suspended mode and is operatively connected to an upper surface region of the heater body housing of the applicator gun, the electrical power cable is likewise disposed in a suspended mode and is operatively connected to an upper surface region of the applicator gun housing disposed above the handle housing, and the hanger clip or bracket is operatively mounted upon a lower region of the gun handle housing. Alternatively, it may be desired to utilize the applicator gun in a conventional gun-type mode of operation wherein the handle of the gun is pointing or oriented downwardly, however, the hydraulic adhesive material hose is disposed in a downwardly extending mode and is operatively connected to a lower surface region of the heater body housing of the applicator gun, the electrical power cable is likewise disposed in a downwardly extending mode and is operatively connected to an lower surface region of the applicator gun housing disposed beneath the handle housing, and the hanger clip or bracket is operatively mounted upon an upper region of the gun handle housing.
In addition, the hydraulic adhesive material hose may be disposed in a downwardly extending mode so as to be operatively connected to a lower surface region of the heater body housing of the applicator gun, the electrical power cable may likewise be disposed in a downwardly extending mode so as to be operatively connected to a lower surface region of the applicator gun housing disposed beneath the handle housing, and the hanger clip or bracket is operatively mounted upon an upper region of the gun handle housing, however, the applicator gun is effectively disposed in an upside down or inverted orientation. Alternatively, the applicator gun is effectively disposed in an upside down or inverted orientation, however, the hydraulic adhesive material hose may be disposed in an upwardly extending mode so as to be operatively connected to an upper surface region of the heater body housing of the applicator gun, the electrical power cable may likewise be disposed in an upwardly extending mode so as to be operatively connected to an upper surface region of the applicator gun housing disposed above the handle housing, and the hanger clip or bracket is operatively mounted upon a lower region of the gun handle housing. In a similar manner, different operator personnel may opt to utilize what are known in the industry as four-finger trigger mechanisms or two-finger trigger mechanisms, and still yet further, in order to easily facilitate the utilization of the applicator gun in a variety of different orientations required in connection with the application of adhesive to, for example, different portions or regions of different products, it is sometimes desirable that the applicator gun be freely movable around a rotary axis, or alternatively, it is sometimes desirable that the applicator gun be freely movable in a universal mode with six degrees of freedom.
While PRIOR ART applicator guns have exhibited structural features which enable such applicator guns to achieve one or more of the various aforenoted desirable operative modes or capabilities, no single applicator gun has ever had structural features incorporated therein which enable the applicator gun to achieve all of the various aforenoted desirable operative modes or capabilities. A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved applicator gun wherein the gun is readily capable of being operated in a normal gun-type mode with the hydraulic hose and electrical power cable connections capable of extending upwardly or downwardly with respect to the gun, wherein the gun is readily capable of being operated in an upside down or inverted mode with the hydraulic hose and electrical power cable connections capable of extending upwardly or downwardly with respect to the gun, wherein the gun is capable of being operated by means of a four-finger trigger mechanism or by means of a two-finger trigger mechanism, and lastly, wherein the gun is capable of being operated so as to be freely movable around a rotary axis, or alternatively, to be freely movable in a universal mode with six degrees of freedom.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hot melt adhesive applicator gun.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hot melt adhesive applicator gun which effectively overcomes the various operative disadvantages or drawbacks characteristic of PRIOR ART hot melt adhesive applicator guns.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hot melt adhesive applicator gun which can effectively be operative in accordance with different operative orientations.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hot melt adhesive applicator gun which can effectively be operative in accordance with different operative orientations of the applicator gun, in accordance with different operative connections of the hydraulic hose and electrical power cable to the applicator gun, in accordance with different movement modes of the applicator gun with respect to a rotary axis or in accordance with six degrees of freedom, and wherein the gun is capable of being operated with either a four-finger trigger mechanism or a two-finger trigger mechanism.
A last object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hot melt adhesive applicator gun wherein the gun is readily capable of being operated in a normal gun-type mode with the hydraulic hose and electrical power cable connections capable of extending upwardly or downwardly with respect to the gun, wherein the gun is readily capable of being operated in an upside down or inverted mode with the hydraulic hose and electrical power cable connections capable of extending upwardly or downwardly with respect to the gun, wherein the gun is capable of being operated by means of a four-finger trigger mechanism or by means of a two-finger trigger mechanism, and lastly, wherein the gun is capable of being operated so as to be freely movable around a rotary axis, or alternatively, to be freely movable in a universal mode with six degrees of freedom.
The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved hot melt adhesive applicator gun wherein the gun comprises a handle housing with upper and lower parts of the handle housing being integrally connected to upper and lower parts of an applicator gun housing. The handle housing and applicator gun housing are also formed from two mating half housing sections which are adapted to be fixed together by means of a plurality of screw fasteners. A heater body housing assembly, which also comprises a pair of two mating half housing sections fixed together by means of a screw fastener, is removably mounted upon a front portion of the applicator gun housing and has a heater body member incorporated therein. The heater body member is operatively connected to the applicator gun dispensing nozzle as well as to a stem fitting within which a stem is fixedly mounted for mating with the hydraulic material supply hose. The upper and lower parts of the applicator gun housing are also provided with flanged fittings by means of which a hanger bracket and an electrical cable connector are able to be mounted upon the applicator gun housing.
When the applicator gun and handle housing halves are taken apart and separated, the positions of the hanger bracket and the electrical cable connector relative to the applicator gun may be interchanged, and the heater body housing assembly may effectively be rotated 180xc2x0 with respect to the dispensing nozzle axis. Accordingly, the applicator gun is able in effect to be disposed in either one of two different operative modes, that is, the applicator gun is able to be disposed in a normal gun-type mode with the hydraulic material hose and electrical power cable connections capable of extending upwardly or downwardly with respect to the gun, or alternatively, the applicator gun is able to be disposed in an upside down or inverted mode with the hydraulic hose and electrical power cable connections capable of extending upwardly or downwardly with respect to the gun. In addition, the gun is also capable of being operated by means of a four-finger trigger mechanism or by means of a two-finger trigger mechanism, and lastly, the heater body member of the applicator gun may comprise either axial rotation components enabling the applicator gun to be freely rotatable around a rotary axis, or the heater body member may comprise universal ball components enabling the applicator gun to be freely movable in a universal mode with six degrees of freedom. Still further, the applicator gun comprises improved weep hole structure which readily enables an operator to detect hydraulic material leakage prior to the same fouling the internal components of the applicator gun handle assembly, and a trigger lock assembly which is provided with unique detent structure for positively indicating to the operator the achievement of the locked and unlocked states of the trigger lock assembly.